Five games that defined Navy football's current era

2003 EV1.net Houston Bowl

Sun photo by Doug Kapustin

Navy had not qualified for a bowl game since 1996 and the fan base was excited about the turnaround season of 2003. Second-year head coach Paul Johnson led the Midshipmen to an 8-4 regular season record after suffering through a 2-10 campaign in 2002. Athletic director Chet Gladchuk used his connections to land the bid for Navy, which had no bowl affiliations at the time. There was concern the Mids might be left out of the postseason, but Gladchuk's previous stint as athletic director at the University of Houston paid off as he had a close relationship with Jerry Ippoliti, president and CEO of the EV1.net Houston Bowl. It was only the second bowl appearance since 1981 for Navy, which sold 20,000 tickets for the game. Things didn't go so well on the field as quarterback B.J. Symons passed for 495 yards and four touchdowns to lead Texas Tech to a 38-14 victory at Reliant Stadium.

Navy had not qualified for a bowl game since 1996 and the fan base was excited about the turnaround season of 2003. Second-year head coach Paul Johnson led the Midshipmen to an 8-4 regular season record after suffering through a 2-10 campaign in 2002. Athletic director Chet Gladchuk used his connections to land the bid for Navy, which had no bowl affiliations at the time. There was concern the Mids might be left out of the postseason, but Gladchuk's previous stint as athletic director at the University of Houston paid off as he had a close relationship with Jerry Ippoliti, president and CEO of the EV1.net Houston Bowl. It was only the second bowl appearance since 1981 for Navy, which sold 20,000 tickets for the game. Things didn't go so well on the field as quarterback B.J. Symons passed for 495 yards and four touchdowns to lead Texas Tech to a 38-14 victory at Reliant Stadium.

State comptroller Louis L. Goldstein had been stumping for years for Navy and Maryland to renew their gridiron rivalry. Sadly, Goldstein died before he could see the Midshipmen and Terrapins meet for the first time since 1965. Academy officials put a halt to the series due to incidents that occurred during the 1964 contest when Maryland linebacker Jerry Fishman roughed up several Navy players and made an obscene gesture to the Brigade of Midshipmen. Head coaches Paul Johnson and Ralph Friedgen were responsible for putting an end to the frost, agreeing to play the game while having dinner together at an Annapolis restaurant. So it was that after a 40-year hiatus, Maryland and Navy renewed the Crab Bowl Classic with a crowd of 67,809 filling M&T Bank Stadium for the Sept. 3, 2005 season opener. Quarterback Sam Hollenbach hit wide receiver Drew Weatherly with an 11-yard touchdown pass with 1:01 remaining as Maryland rallied for a 23-20 victory over Navy. The Mids had jumped out to an early 14-3 lead as quarterback Lamar Owens led scoring drives of 80 and 50 yards.

State comptroller Louis L. Goldstein had been stumping for years for Navy and Maryland to renew their gridiron rivalry. Sadly, Goldstein died before he could see the Midshipmen and Terrapins meet for the first time since 1965. Academy officials put a halt to the series due to incidents that occurred during the 1964 contest when Maryland linebacker Jerry Fishman roughed up several Navy players and made an obscene gesture to the Brigade of Midshipmen. Head coaches Paul Johnson and Ralph Friedgen were responsible for putting an end to the frost, agreeing to play the game while having dinner together at an Annapolis restaurant. So it was that after a 40-year hiatus, Maryland and Navy renewed the Crab Bowl Classic with a crowd of 67,809 filling M&T Bank Stadium for the Sept. 3, 2005 season opener. Quarterback Sam Hollenbach hit wide receiver Drew Weatherly with an 11-yard touchdown pass with 1:01 remaining as Maryland rallied for a 23-20 victory over Navy. The Mids had jumped out to an early 14-3 lead as quarterback Lamar Owens led scoring drives of 80 and 50 yards.

Navy is facing one of its most-anticipated football games that doesn't involve archrival Army in recent memory as it prepares for an American Athletic Conference West Division showdown at Houston on Friday. Capital Gazette's Bill Wagner takes a look at five of the biggest matchups that helped re-establish the Midshipmen as a presence on the national college football map during the current triple-option era.